DISPATCHES FROM THE ARID LANDS

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What the Cardinals should do in San Diego

The smart money says the Cardinals will get beat tomorrow in San Diego by the Chargers. And get beat bad.

I believe coach Ken Whisenhunt will play it conservative. But me, I’m for the bold approach. I want him to open it up, to loosen all restraints on Derek Anderson, his quarterback. I want him to start running back Beanie Wells for the first time. I want him to attack and attack and attack. Not sit back and play it smart. I want more passing, not less, even though the Cardinals have a depleted corps of receivers. If that means throwing to Larry Fitzgerald less, then so be it. Don’t force the ball to Fitzgerald like what has happened for the past three weeks. In Games 1 and 3, Anderson threw 22 passes to their star receiver, completing only four. Something’s wrong there. Forget Larry for a week, maybe even two.

Am I crazy? Perhaps. But this is how I look the world at this point of the season. I look at the next two games before the bye week as lab tests. Nothing’s on the line yet. The Cardinals will still be 1-0 in the division by Week 6. Let’s find out in San Diego and at home with the NFL champion New Orleans Saints what this offense is all about. I can say without blinking the defense is not going to hold up this season. Even in the Warner era, it was the weak sister that couldn’t pull its weight. It was the defense that cost the Cardinals a Super Bowl. It is the defense that will cost the team again this year if relied on too heavily.

I think I’ll know the approach the Whiz is taking by the very first snap. If Beanie starts I’ll know the coach is finally trying to turn over a new leaf. If it’s Tim Hightower, the Whiz is playing it smart. And, I think, right into the hands of the Chargers.

Whiz has made a mistake by not hiring an Offensive Coordinator. He has too much on his plate in a season with a new quarterback. Kurt Warner, for all practical purposes, was the coordinator. It may be too late to change. But I’m for testing the waters, to see the offense’s upside if there is one. It’s just not working so far.